Taking steps to stay human in the artificial intelligence jungle

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2024 (441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last month, I wrote about an approach to help guide executives in their use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid in their marketing and sales efforts. I stated that rather than rush into using AI, leading companies take the time to learn, test and see what can be added to improve their overall marketing and sales effectiveness when using AI tools.

I am a curious marketer, whose work is primarily focused on understanding human behaviour and leveraging this understanding into superior value for my clients’ business and their customers. With so much written about the explosion of AI applications, part of my role is to understand if these new tools help businesses solve the right customer problem and define the real value that their customers are looking for.

My concern now is determining if the technology is helping businesses to become more effective or just to say they are using it. A cartoon this week featured two youngsters walking down the school hallway and one asked the other, “so what’s AI?” And the other answered, “when you get an A for plagiarising.”

This is the main issue I have with much of the marketing and sales content created using AI. Tools such as ChatGPT respond to queries by combing the internet and assembling the findings as requested. One of the main challenges, as of this writing, is that the tools seldom provide accurate references if you ask for them. This means that there could be direct plagiarism or there could be a blending of many pieces of written work that is reconfigured to respond to the prompt.

I have also seen many presentations where experts have shared their experiences in how they use AI tools for research to determine customer insights. Some of the output is truly fascinating. And yet, these are aggregated findings and may not truly provide accurate insights into your customers because you are not speaking directly to them.

One of the most compelling outcomes from AI-generated content is the machine-like wording and phrasing. In so many cases I have reviewed, the words have not been written by a human. How do I know? Because humans do not talk like that.

Using technology solutions to increase value to your customer is smart business. But the concept of value is a subjective one. Technology can help you address this only if you’re able to point it in the right direction to find solutions to problems that are clearly defined. The following three points will keep you on the right track with a balance of technology and maintaining the human element.

First, you must always be authentic. There are many organizations that tout their authenticity. Leading companies understand that being authentic means actually knowing what you stand for and what you stand against. And these companies know that by maintaining their position they are developing trust with their customers because “what you see is what you get.”

Second, resist becoming over-reliant on the output of the technology. Investigate the tool to learn its strengths and weaknesses and understand the problem you want to use it to solve. When you select the right tool then your focus is on continuing to deliver superior value for your customers and your employees. I advise my clients and students to never rely on a single tool from the outset of their problem-solving process. Know what you are trying to solve before jumping headlong into something. You might run into a brick wall, and that hurts.

Third, continue to focus on an intimate understanding of your customers, their behaviours and their wants, needs and desires. Customers will not generally tell you directly what they need, so it is up to you to investigate their actions and objectives to see how your product or service fits within their business or personal life. Know how you are adding value and make sure you are not making things more difficult.

Abraham Maslow’s famous quote, “when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail” holds for the use of AI tools. Diagnose the situation first before rushing to implement any AI tool so that you are selecting the best tool for your situation. Being human means we will make mistakes. Please don’t make this one or you may make your situation worse, not better.

Tim’s bits: Every winning game plan is built on fundamentals. Players learn skills and techniques and then apply them in practices and games to hone their effectiveness. In your business’s winning game plan, you employ a variety of tools and different skillsets of employees to deliver value for your customers. Choosing the right AI tools and applying them with vigour and care will build on your established trust and credibility with your clients. There is nothing artificial about that intelligence. It’s the best way out of the AI jungle.

Tim Kist is a certified management consultant, authorized by law, and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba

tim@tk3consulting.ca